Aim Visual perception is one of the cognitive functions often impaired in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of this systematic literature review was to assess the frequency of visual–perceptual impairment (VPI) and its relationship with patient characteristics. Method Eligible studies were relevant papers assessing visual perception with five common standardized assessment instruments in children with CP published from January 1990 to August 2011. Results Of the 84 studies selected, 15 were retained. In children with CP, the proportion of VPI ranged from 40% to 50% and the mean visual perception quotient from 70 to 90. None of the studies reported a significant influence of CP subtype, IQ level, side of motor impairment, neuro‐ophthalmological outcomes, or seizures. The severity of neuroradiological lesions seemed associated with VPI. The influence of prematurity was controversial, but a lower gestational age was more often associated with lower visual motor skills than with decreased visual–perceptual abilities. Interpretation The impairment of visual perception in children with CP should be considered a core disorder within the CP syndrome. Further research, including a more systematic approach to neuropsychological testing, is needed to explore the specific impact of CP subgroups and of neuroradiological features on visual–perceptual development.

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Aims  Our aim was to examine intellectual development in children with congenital hemiplegia from early childhood to adolescence. Method  Full‐scale IQ (FIQ), Verbal IQ (VIQ), and Performance IQ (PIQ) scores were measured in 32 participants (19 males, 13 females) with congenital hemiplegia at mean ages of 4 years 6 months (SD 7mo; 31 participants), 7 years (SD 6mo; 23 participants), and 14 years (SD 1y 5mo; 26 participants). Results  The FIQ and VIQ scores did not change with age, but the PIQ declined significantly (0.7 points per year; p=0.004). The estimated mean (95% confidence intervals) scores in males born at term with right‐sided lesions without epilepsy were FIQ 106.5 (95.29–117.74), VIQ 105.9 (95.57–116.24), and PIQ 103.7 (93.19–114.31). Those means were negatively associated with preterm birth. PIQ was negatively associated with epilepsy. VIQ increased more quickly in males and in children with right‐sided lesions. Interpretation  The results confirm previous findings of FIQ stability, PIQ decline, the impact of epilepsy, and the status of females with left‐sided lesions, and also reveal the effect of gestational age at birth. They underline the importance of management focused on nonverbal functions and further the debate about the early lateralization of language, the ‘crowding effect’, and the difference in brain plasticity between males and females.